am. 


m 


277 


L 


foreign 

MISSIONS 


AT  THE 


133d  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY 
OF  THE  PRESBYTERIAN 
CHURCH  IN  THE  U.  S.  A. 

WINONA  LAKE,  INDIANA 
May  19-26,  1921 


The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
and 

The  Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 

of  the 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


The  133rd  General  Assembly  of  the  Presby¬ 
terian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A.  meeting  in 
Winona  Lake,  Indiana,  from  May  19th  to  26th 
inclusive,  was  predominantly  an  Assembly 
greatly  interested  in  and  sympathetic  towards 
Foreign  Missions. 

MISSIONARIES  IN  ATTENDANCE 

There  were  between  forty  and  fifty  fur¬ 
loughed  missionaries  in  attendance,  several  of 
them  sitting  as  commissioners  and  others  as 
delegates  from  their  missions.  Nearly  all  of 
our  missions  were  represented.  The  mission¬ 
aries,  officers  and  members  of  the  Assembly’s 
and  Woman’s  Boards  of  Foreign  Missions,  and 
members  of  the  Assembly’s  Standing  Commit¬ 
tee  on  Foreign  Missions,  joined  in  an  informal 
Prayer  Conference,  which  was  held  at  Bethany 
Chapel  on  Sunday  afternoon.  May  22nd.  The 
Rev.  Hugh  T.  Kerr,  D.D.,  pastor  of  the  Shady- 
side  Church  of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  led  the  Con¬ 
ference  and  called  on  the  missionaries  present 
to  state  the  needs  of  their  missions,  and  then 
there  followed  a  season  of  prayer  for  all  our 
fields. 


POPULAR  MEETINGS 

The  Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
held  its  popular  meeting  in  Westminster 
Chapel  on  Tuesday,  May  24th,  morning  and 
afternoon.  A  number  of  furloughed  mission¬ 
aries  spoke.  Encouraging  reports  were  brought 
regarding  the  cultivation  of  the  home  con¬ 
stituency,  and  an  address  was  given  by  Secre¬ 
tary  Robert  E.  Speer. 

The  regular  popular  meeting  on  Foreign 
Missions,  which  is  an  annual  feature  of  the 
Assembly,  was  held  on  Wednesday  evening, 
May  25th,  and  was  largely  attended  by  com¬ 
missioners  and  visitors.  The  missionaries  were 
assembled  on  the  platform,  and  after  being  in¬ 
troduced  by  Secretary  Robert  E.  Speer,  one 
missionary  from  each  mission  spoke  briefly. 
Following  this  presentation  of  the  missionaries, 
there  were  four  brief  addresses  by  the  Rev, 


3 


A.  I.  Good  of  West  Africa,  Mrs.  Charles  K. 
Roys,  formerly  of  China  and  now  General  Sec¬ 
retary  of  the  Woman’s  Board,  Rev.  Roy  H. 
Brown  of  the  Philippines,  and  the  Rev.  G.  S. 
McCune  of  Chosen. 

FOREIGN  MISSIONS  DAY 

Thursday  morning.  May  26th,  the  Assembly 
devoted  to  the  consideration  of  the  work  of 
the  Foreign  Boards.  The  Rev.  Hugh  K. 
Walker,  D.D.,  Chairman  of  the  Standing  Com¬ 
mittee  on  Foreign  Missions,  presented  the 
report  and  recommendations  of  the  committee 
which  were  unanimously  adopted  by  the 
Assembly  and  which  will  be  found  on  another 
page  of  this  leaflet.  Addresses  were  then 
delivered  by  Secretary  George  T.  Scott  of  the 
Assembly’s  Board  and  Miss  Margaret  E. 
Hodge,  President  of  the  Woman’s  Board. 
Following  these  addresses  a  memorial  service 
was  held  in  honor  of  Secretary,  A.  W.  Halsey, 
Mr.  Speer  addressing  the  Assembly  on  Dr. 
Halsey’s  life  and  work. 

REPORT  OF  THE  CHOSEN  COMMIS¬ 
SION 

The  Chosen  Commission,  appointed  by  the 
132nd  General  Assembly  at  Philadelphia,  May, 
1920,  presented  to  the  Assembly  at  Winona 
Lake,  Part  1  of  its  Report  which  had  been 
adopted  unanimously  by  the  commission.  This 
report  was  thereupon  approved  unanimously 
by  the  Assembly.  Part  2  of  the  Report  of 
the  Chosen  Commission  has  already  been  sent 
to  the  missions  for  their  consideration. 

CHINA  FAMINE  AND  NEAR  EAST 

RELIEF 

The  Assembly  gave  careful  and  sympathetic 
consideration  to  the  presentation  of  famine 
conditions  in  China  and  to  the  continued  need 
of  contributions  for  Near  East  Relief.  Strong 
resolutions  were  passed  by  the  Assembly  call- 


4 


ing  upon  the  Church  for  gifts  for  these  two 
needy  causes.  The  commissioners  themselves 
also  contributed  generously  to  these  two  funds. 

INTERCHURCH  AND  NEW  ERA  DEBTS 

On  recommendation  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission,  the  General  Assembly  provided  for 
the  balance  of  an  underwriting  of  the  Inter¬ 
church  World  Movement,  amoimting  to  ap¬ 
proximately  $555,000  with  accrued  interest, 
and  a  balance  of  an  underwriting  of  the  New 
Era  Movement  amounting  to  approximately 
$365,000  with  accrued  interest,  making  a  total 
of  approximately  $920,000  with  accrued  inter¬ 
est,  which  must  be  liquidated. 

The  recommendation  of  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mission  which  was  adopted  by  the  Assembly 
provided  that  the  Moderator  and  Stated  Clerk 
of  the  General  Assembly  be  authorized,  em¬ 
powered  and  directed  to  make,  execute  and 
deliver  in  the  name  of  and  rmder  the  seal  of 
the  General  Assembly,  certificates  of  indebted¬ 
ness  not  to  exceed  the  sum  of  $600,000  for  a 
term  of  five  years,  bearing  interest  at  the  rate 
of  6%  per  annum.  These  certificates  of  in¬ 
debtedness  to  be  subject  to  redemption  in 
whole  or  in  part  at  any  interest  period  as  the 
Executive  Commission  may  determine  and  be 
declared  to  be  authorized  investments  for  the 
Boards  and  Agencies  of  the  Church,  to  the 
repayment  of  which  the  good  faith  of  the 
Church  is  pledged. 

The  recommendation  further  provided  that 
the  sum  of  $350,000  shall  be  added  to  the  total 
budget  of  $12,000,000  already  approved  by  the 
Executive  Commission  for  the  year  1921-22, 
and  that  the  Executive  Commission  be  directed 
to  place  in  the  budget  for  the  years  following 
1921-22  a  sum  equal  to  2%  per  annum  of  the 
total  budget  of  all  participating  parties  for  the 
purpose  of  retiring  certificates  of  indebtedness. 

The  recommendation  further  provided,  in 
regard  to  the  New  Era  debt,  that  the  Execu¬ 
tive  Commission  be  directed  to  place  in  the 
budget  for  the  year  1921-22,  in  addition  to  the 
amount  already  specified,  the  sum  of  $150,000, 


5 


this  amount  to  be  used  and  appropriated  to 
liquidate  the  New  Era  indebtedness,  and  in 
the  years  following  1921-22  a  sum  equal  to 
1%  per  annum  of  the  total  budget  of  all  par¬ 
ticipating  parties  be  added  to  the  New  Era 
budget  for  the  purpose  of  liquidating  the  New 
Era  indebtedness. 

A  special  committee  of  the  General  Assem¬ 
bly  consisting  of  representatives  of  the  Boards 
and  Agencies  on  the  New  Era  Committee,  was 
appointed  and  empowered  to  use  ail  available 
agencies  of  the  Church  including  the  New  Era 
Committee,  to  raise  the  amounts  placed  in  the 
budget  for  1921-22  as  provided  in  the  above 
resolutions. 


6 


RECOMMENDATIONS  AND  RESOLU¬ 
TIONS  OF  THE  STANDING  COM¬ 
MITTEE  ON  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 

Adopted  unanimously  by  the  133rd  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the 
U.  S.  A.,  May  26th,  1921. 

The  Standing  Committee  on  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  unanimously  submits  the  following 
recommendations  and  resolutions; 

1.  That  the  Assembly  approve  the  Minutes 
of  the  Board  which  the  Committee  has  ex¬ 
amined,  and  which  are  an  impressive  evidence 
of  the  magnitude  and  complexity  of  the  For¬ 
eign  Missionary  work  of  our  Church. 

2.  Having  examined  the  report  of  the 
Treasurer  which  shows  that  there  has  been  a 
total  income  of  $4,633,534.00,  an  increase  of 
$914,758.00  (approximately  25%)  over  last 
year;  the  gain  from  “living  sources”  being 
$537,461.00 — we  recommend  that  the  Assembly 
express  its  devout  gratitude  to  God  and  its 
congratulations  to  the  Church  for  this  splendid 
achievement  and  that  in  view  of  the  certifi¬ 
cate  of  audit  attached  to  the  report  of  the 
Treasurer,  the  report  be  approved. 

3.  That  the  Assembly  approve  the  election 
of  the  Rev.  George  T.  Scott  and  the  Rev. 
William  P.  Schell  as  Secretaries  of  the  Board, 
Mr.  Scott  and  Mr.  Schell  having  already 
served  as  Assistant  and  Associate  Secretaries 
for  eight  years. 

4.  That  the  following  members  of  the 
Board  whose  terms  of  office  expire  with  this 
meeting  of  the  Assembly,  be  re-elected  to 
serve  for  three  years: 

Rev.  Cleland  B.  McAfee,  D.D., 

Rev.  Charles  R.  Erdman,  D.D., 

Rev.  William  Y.  Chapman,  D.D., 

Rev.  John  Kelman,  D.D., 

Rev.  William  P.  Merrill,  D.D., 

Rev.  D.  Morgan  Richards, 

Mr.  W.  P.  Stevenson, 

Mr.  Scott  Foster, 

Mr.  John  L.  Severance. 


7 


5.  That  the  Assembly  extend  its  hearty 
congratulations  to  the  newly  organized 
Woman’s  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  which 
entered  upon  its  work  January  1,  1921,  as  a 
union  of  the  former  six  Woman’s  Boards,  and 
which  does  its  work  as  auxiliary  to  and  in  co¬ 
operation  with  the  Assembly’s  Board  of  For¬ 
eign  Missions.  The  Committee  notes  with 
pleasure  and  pride  that  in  this  year  of  transi¬ 
tion  the  Woman’s  Board  raised  among  the 
women  of  the  Church  the  magnificent  sum  of 
$1,144,855.31  for  the  Budget,  not  including 
annuities,  legacies,  and  income  from  invested 
funds,  and  recommends  also  that  the  Assembly 
express  to  the  Woman’s  Board  its  heartiest 
wishes  for  continued  success  in  this  Christ-like 
service  to  the  women  and  children  of  all  lands. 

6.  That  the  work  of  the  Home  Department 
be  commended  for  its  enlarged  program  for 
the  promotion  of  the  Church  School  of  Mis¬ 
sions,  of  Missionary  Education  in  the  Sunday 
Schools,  and  of  the  study  of  Missions  by  men 
and  women  in  the  Church;  and  second. 

That  the  Assembly  approve,  as  has  been  the 
custom  for  many  years  past,  of  setting  the 
Sunday  nearest  Christmas,  and  Easter  Sunday, 
for  special  offerings  from  the  Sunday  Schools 
for  the  work  imder  the  care  of  the  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions,  and  that  the  Assembly  urge 
all  Sunday  Schools  to  use  the  special  Christmas 
and  Easter  programs  issued  by  the  Educa¬ 
tional  Department  of  the  Board  and  to  take 
part  in  the  special  offerings. 

Your  Committee  rejoices  that  so  many 
churches,  Sunday  Schools  and  individual 
donors  are  contributing  to  the  support  of 
particular  Mission  stations  and  of  individual 
Missionaries  with  whom  an  informing  and 
stimulating  correspondence  is  conducted,  and 
recommends  that  the  Assembly  commend  to 
all  our  churches  and  other  contributors  this 
plan  of  giving  to  Foreign  Missions. 

7.  That  the  Assembly  call  upon  parents, 
pastors,  and  lay-workers  to  bring  to  the  seri¬ 
ous  attention  of  the  yoimg  people  of  our 
church  the  great  appeal  for  life  service  in  for- 


8 


eign  lands  and  that  they  keep  in  touch  with 
the  United  Candidate  Department  of  the  As¬ 
sembly's  and  Woman’s  Boards  of  Foreign 
Missions. 

8.  That  the  Assembly  express  its  approval 
of  the  effort  to  impose  just  restrictions  upon 
the  exportation  from  the  United  States  of 
opium,  morphine  and  other  harmful  drugs  to 
Mission  fields  and  its  hope  that  ways  may  be 
found  to  prevent  any  transfer  of  the  outlawed 
liquor  traffic  from  America  to  non-Christian 
lands. 

9.  That  the  Assembly  learns  with  gratifica¬ 
tion  of  the  post-war  conference  of  the  Board 
and  of  the  Woman’s  Board  and  the  Mission¬ 
aries  held  at  Princeton,  June  19-27,  1920,  and 
attended  by  152  representatives  of  the  church 
at  home  and  of  the  Missions  abroad,  and  of 
the  proposals  adopted  by  the  conference  look¬ 
ing  toward  the  closest  unity  and  the  largest 
efficiency  of  the  work,  proposals  which  are 
now  before  the  Missions  and  Boards  for  their 
consideration. 

10.  That  the  deputations  which  the  Mis¬ 
sions  and  Churches  in  India  and  Persia  and 
in  Africa  have  requested  the  Board  to  send  to 
them  for  special  conference  be  charged  to  bear 
to  the  churches  and  missions  in  these  fields 
the  affectionate  greetings  of  the  Assembly  and 
to  assure  them  of  the  prayer  of  the  Church  in 
America  that  the  spirit  of  God  may  work 
through  them  to  raise  up  in  each  of  these  lands 
a  Christian  Church  and  a  Christian  leadership 
which  shall  bear  persuasive  witness  to  the  suf¬ 
ficiency  and  power  of  the  Gospel. 

11.  That  we  note  with  grateful  praise  and 
appreciation  the  advance  made  by  the  West 
Africa  Mission  in  taking  over  the  Swiss  and 
German  Missions  in  Northern  Cameroun  and 
join  our  prayers  with  theirs  for  the  success  of 
this  work.  That  we  commend  the  work  of 
the  missionaries  and  native  preachers  and 
teachers  in  India  who  have  so  successfully 
carried  forward  their  work  in  the  face  of  great 
political  and  social  unrest. 

That  we  rejoice  in  the  reports  of  the  steady 
advance  of  the  enlarging  opportunities  in  Siam 


9 


and  commend  this  work  to  the  interest  and 
prayers  of  the  church  at  home,  in  order  that 
increased  support  in  re-inforcements  and  funds 
may  enable  the  Board  to  occupy  the  field  of 
Eastern  Siam  for  which  we  are  alone  responsi¬ 
ble,  and  which  we  have  long  neglected. 

That  we  note  with  deep  gratitude  and  joy 
the  faithful  devotion  of  our  Missionaries  and 
the  native  Christians  in  Persia  and  Syria.  The 
Nestorian  and  Evangelical  Churches  of  West¬ 
ern  Persia  have  been  decimated,  deported  and 
all  but  destroyed.  Our  church  bears  special 
responsibility  for  the  succor  of  these  bereft 
Christians  now  homeless  in  Mesopotamia  and 
we,  therefore,  express  our  sympathy  with 
these  suffering  people  and  our  support  of  the 
Board  in  dealing  with  this  difficult  situation. 
We  trust  that  the  way  may  be  found  to  answer 
the  urgent  call  for  missionary  service  in 
Mesopotamia  in  the  great  region  between  the 
Persia  and  Syria  fields. 

That  we  express  our  sincere  sympathy  with 
the  Korean  Church  in  the  great  tribiilation 
through  which  it  is  still  passing  and  commend 
the  wisdom  of  our  missionaries  in  maintaining 
strict  neutrality  upon  all  political  matters  in¬ 
volved.  Together  with  all  the  better  elements 
in  the  Japanese  Government,  we  deplore  the 
reign  of  terrorism  which  still  exists  in  Korea 
and  the  unwarranted  suspicion  under  which 
our  missionaries  have  labored  during  the  past 
year. 

That  we  rejoice  with  the  Korean  Church  in 
the  great  revivals  that  it  has  been  having  in 
spite  of  these  terrible  handicaps  and  not  only 
express  our  admiration  for  the  Christian  spirit 
which  they  have  shown  in  this  time  of  great 
trial,  but  also  pledge  our  moral  and  spiritual 
support  to  every  movement  that  seeks  to  bring 
about  a  just  and  righteous  settlement. 

That  in  view  of  the  unusual  opportunity 
which  exists  for  work  among  Orientals  on 
the  Pacific  Coast,  the  Assembly  urge  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  in  co-operation 
with  the  churches  of  the  Pacific  Coast  to  put 
on  as  soon  as  possible  a  more  extensive  work 
for  Orientals  in  that  District. 


10 


12.  Having  received  certain  overtures  from 
a  number  of  Presbyteries  calling  attention  to 
reports  regarding  irregular  beliefs  and  teach¬ 
ings  among  some  Foreign  Missionaries  and 
having  heard  all  representatives  of  such 
Presbyteries  as  wished  to  appear  before  the 
Committee  and  having  also  carefully  examined 
all  the  material  before  the  Committee,  your 
Committee  is  gratified  to  report  that  it  finds 
nothing  to  disturb  the  confidence  of  the  Gen¬ 
eral  Assembly  in  the  Board  of  Foreign  Mis¬ 
sions  and  in  the  great  body  of  its  loyal  Chris¬ 
tian  Missionaries.  But  for  their  own  sakes  as 
well  as  for  the  benefit  of  the  Missionary  en¬ 
terprise  of  our  Church,  be  it  resolved  that  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  be  instructed  to 
examine  further  into  these  reports  and  if 
necessary,  to  take  such  action  as  according  to 
the  Form  of  Government  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  the  conditions  may  demand. 

Moreover,  it  recommends  that  the  Presby¬ 
teries  and  Sessions  which  have  the  primary 
responsibility  in  the  matter  be  enjoined  and 
counseled  in  the  ordaining  and  recommending 
of  all  men  and  women  for  Foreign  Missionary 
work  to  exercise  the  greatest  care  so  that  the 
Missionary  enterprise  may  be  safeguarded  and 
the  Evangelical  foundations  of  our  Church  be 
perpetuated. 

13.  That  the  Assembly  record  its  gratitude 
to  God  for  the  hallowed  lives  of  the  men  and 
women  who  during  the  past  year  have  finished 
their  work  and  entered  into  their  reward: 

Prof.  John  C.  Ballagh,  45  years  in  Japan. 

Mrs.  Howard  Campbell,  26  years  in  Siam. 

Mrs.  A.  H.  Ewing,  30  years  in  India. 

Rev.  L.  D.  Heminger,  17  years  in  West 
Africa. 

Rev.  Franklin  E.  Hoskins,  D.D.,  32  years  in 
Syria. 

Miss  Bernice  Hunting,  24  years  in  Syria. 

Rev.  William  Jessup,  D.D.,  30  years  in  Syria. 

Rev.  J.  B.  Kalb,  37  years  in  Brazil. 

Miss  Hannah  Kunkle,  9  years  in  China. 

Rev.  Charles  Leaman,  47  years  in  China. 

Dr.  S.  C.  Peoples,  39  years  in  Siam. 

Dr.  Charles  K.  Roys,  16  years  in  China. 


n 


And,  although,  he,  himself,  would  have 
disapproved  any  special  mention  of  his 
name  and  would  have  asked  that  all  our 
thought  be  given  to  those  who  for  many 
years  or  few,  served  on  the  fields  abroad, 
nevertheless,  we  believe  it  fitting  that  spe¬ 
cial  record  be  made  of  the  loss  sustained 
by  the  Church  in  the  death  of  Rev.  A. 
Woodruff  Halsey,  D.D.,  for  twenty-two 
years  one  of  the  Secretaries  of  the  Board. 
With  unmeasured  devotion,  he  served  the 
Missionary  cause.  By  his  unselfishness 
and  loving  kindness,  he  endeared  himself 
to  the  entire  church.  With  constant  en¬ 
treaty  and  appeal,  he  besought  men  to  give 
themselves  to  Christ  and  to  His  world¬ 
wide  service.  In  this  one  great  purpose 
and  passion,  he  lived  and  wrought  and 
died.  In  memory  of  him  and  of  his  Mas¬ 
ter,  we  would  consecrate  ourselves  anew 
to^the  great  undertaking  for  which  he  and 
those  who  have  fallen  with  him  toiled,  and 
we  would  call  the  Church  to  a  fresh  dedi¬ 
cation  to  their  purpose  to  make  Jesus 
Christ  known  as  Saviour  and  Lord  to  all 
the  world. 

14.  That  the  Assembly  hereby  approve  the 
Memorial  Fund  proposed  by  the  Board  and  by 
the  friends  of  Dr.  Halsey  to  be  provided  by 
personal  gifts  from  those  who  desire  thus  to 
honor  his  memory  and  to  express  their  affec¬ 
tion  for  him.  The  Fund  to  be  used  for  suit¬ 
able  memorial  objects  in  the  three  fields  v/ith 
which  Dr.  Halsey  had  a  special  relation, — 
Africa,  Syria,  and  Mexico. 

15.  That  the  plan  of  the  Board  for  Annuity 
Gifts  on  which  the  Board  pays  interest  imtil 
the  death  of  the  donor  when  the  principal  of 
the  Gift  becomes  available  for  the  Foreign 
Mission  cause,  be  heartily  commended.  Also, 
that  all  friends  of  the  cause  be  urged  to  re¬ 
member  the  Board  in  their  wills. 

(Signed)  HUGH  K.  WALKER,  Chairman, 

J.  RAMSEY  SWAIN,  Secretary. 

Approved  by  the  General  Assembly  this  day. 
May  26,  1921. 


12 


